The End and The Beginning

On my Bucket List were two things I believed were so far away.

One major.

One optional.

But now, both completed.

Finish high school ✔

Go on a road trip with friends after school ✔

I have finished my high school career. I never believed how fast they said it would go. But now it's over and I can't fathom not going to collect school books or searching for my uniform somewhere in the closet. 

High school ended as perfectly as I wanted it to. 

My Valedictory made me cry, the celebration at a bar made me appreciate all the people I had spent my 14 years with, "Silly Week" was my best memory out of high school, and finals...well was finals. 

And then it was done and I handed over my school shoes to be donated and walked out the school gates like every other day, not really thinking I would never be walking back through them as a pupil, ready to take on another school day.

I didn't realise how precious my second home was until I'm sitting here, a day after New Years, wondering what the hell is going to happen to me now and thinking about how I'll actually need to wear proper clothes to get an education now.

Thinking about it, I really had a great high school experience. I had amazing friends, got involved in all the opportunities I could, made a mark in the school, killed finals and my academics, and well... not dropping out counts for something right?
I made it.

So I guess this is goodbye High School.

To wrap it all up, I went on the road trip of a life time with my best friends to a student festival called "Plett Rage" and made incredible memories getting my first taste of freedom and independence.

Many of the memories are hush-hush though.

But to name a few: watching the sunrise, searching through markets, sleeping till noon, living with friends for a week and partying my little heart out.

I wish all those heading into 2016 as their last year of high school a hearty "good luck"

My advice? 

This is the last opportunity you get to make the mundane, magical.

Appreciate the boring assemblies, go to your school events, take advantage of your final year, "big fish in the pond" perks, hug your friends before they jet off to other countries or universities, never underestimate how much more you can learn in a classroom, don't slack off, do everything whole heartedly or don't bother at all.

The end only brings new beginnings

So I'm putting on my big-girl pants and tough-cookie face.

2016, I'm ready.

____________

Listen:
Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen - Baz Luhrmann